From class to construction

Area students experience the industry up close during career awaress day

Area students experience the industry up close during career awaress day

September 21, 2009|BY KEVIN BENNETT, kbennett@aberdeennews.com

OOn Sept. 17, the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota Inc., hosted a Construction Career Awareness Day for roughly 150 area high school students at the Brown County Fairgrounds. The event put students in contact with staff members of area construction companies to learn about career planning and advancement, including job classifications and local salary information. The event, which was nearly an all-day affair, also included opportunities for students to get hands-on experience with equipment, as well as visit sites under construction in the area. In addition, AGC Executive Vice President Toby Crow spoke to the students. "It's wonderful to see so many students attending this event, exploring the possibility of careers in the construction industry," Crow said. "The industry shouldn't be looked at as a last option when young people plan for their future. This awareness day will help show students just what the construction industry has to offer." Students from as far as Eureka and Huron attended as well as students from local schools, including Aberdeen Central, Groton Area High School and Frederick Area School. Jim Franzen, a building trades instructor at Hub Area Technical School, chaperoned the group from Central. "I've been bringing my students to this awareness day for several years now," Franzen said. "Kids who attend gain a wealth of information and a better understanding of the many career opportunities the world of construction offers." Aberdeen Central juniors Justin Greger and Austin Brick have both started to prepare for their future. Their reason for attending this year's Construction Awareness day was simple: "I was curious," Brick said. "Before today I didn't know a lot about construction. This whole thing has been helpful." Greger said it would be fun to come and test out the equipment to get a feel for what construction workers actually do from day to day. At the fairgrounds, different stations were set up, each with a different type of construction equipment, ranging from a crane simulator to a scissor lift truck. Certified operators for equipment were at each station, instructing and guiding students. Cody Wright, a junior from Groton, enjoyed operating the backhoe. "It was fun," Wright said. "I think it's actually easier than it looks." Wright said he was glad he came and will likely give construction a second thought.